Seconds felt like hours as Elias just waited. There was no sound other than his frantic heartbeat and the sound of his and the other's breathing. His mind was running a million miles a minute, but he held on, trying not to break down or pass out himself. He needed to hold on—just a few more minutes.
His hand was slowly growing tired from covering and preventing air from exiting the lung, but he refused to let go. The other was still stable, still breathing. The other was holding on, and he had to hold on too.
Elias knew Louis was unconscious, but he couldn't help wanting to comfort the injured man regardless. "I'll make sure nothing happens to you, Louis... I'll make sure. So you just keep holding on, okay?"
After what felt like an eternity, he finally saw flashes, and relief washed over him. He could hear the sound of sirens in the distance, coming closer and closer.
Finally, there was the screech of a vehicle halting nearby, sirens blaring.
"Quick, hurry up! Assess the damage!"
"Pry the door open! Dr. Kang is in there!"
Elias looked up to see paramedics running toward them, medical equipment in hand. Among them, he saw Jessica, looking panicked, with Max following closely behind.
Jessica instinctively looked at him first, scanning for injuries. He waved a hand to assure her he was fine. She looked unconvinced but, upon seeing Louis in Elias' arms, understood the gravity of the situation and turned her attention to him.
"His lung...his lung has a puncture. I'm holding it right now, so avoid sudden movements," Elias warned.
Jessica nodded and carefully checked Louis' breathing. "He's breathing well enough for now. Just keep your hand there, okay? I'll tell you when to let go."
Her voice was steady as she kept her gaze fixed on Louis. Her hands moved with practiced ease as she checked his pulse, breathing, and blood pressure, administering first aid while the other paramedics prepared the stretcher.
Elias stared at his shaking hand. It had been trembling for a while, but now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the tremors were becoming worse. The searing pain from the cuts and gashes on his palm was setting in, but he fought to keep his hand as still as possible.
Jessica, who had been working on Louis, finally looked up at him. "I need you to pull your hand out now, okay? Slowly. Just pull it back- slowly. Yes, like that."
He carefully began pulling his hand out, making sure not to cause further damage to the lung. The lung should've collapsed by now, yet it hadn't. It was still inflated, and Louis was still breathing. Elias let out a shuddering breath, his hand trembling. Exhaustion weighed heavily on him, but Louis' stability was all that mattered.
Elias felt bile rising in his throat as he stared at his bloodstained hand. He was used to blood, but this felt different. Very different.
His nausea worsened, and he turned toward the back seat—or what was left of it- retching as his stomach emptied completely.
He felt hands on his shoulders, steadying him. They gently moved him forward to keep him from choking.
"Hey... Kang? You okay?" Max asked, his voice low as he supported the blonde. "You're pretty bruised up yourself."
"I'm fine," Elias replied hoarsely, wiping his mouth with his torn sleeve as he watched the paramedics carefully load Louis into the ambulance. "How's he?"
Max didn't look convinced but answered, "His breathing's stable. The surgery will be long, but he'll be fine. Come on, let's patch you up too."
The words 'he'll be fine' sent a wave of relief through Elias, and his knees buckled. Max caught him before he could fall headfirst onto the concrete road. Elias was utterly exhausted, understandable given everything that had happened in the past fifteen minutes.
The next thing he registered, he was seated in the back of the ambulance, his head in his hands. His injuries weren't life-threatening, thankfully. His hair had come loose from the ponytail, now hanging limply around his face.
He took a deep, shuddering breath, still reeling from the last few minutes. Just some time earlier, he had been asleep while Louis drove, soft music playing after an amazing day. Now, he was sitting in an ambulance with bloody hands, while Louis' condition remained critical.
Elias tried to steady his breathing as tears blurred his vision. Shakily, he took one of Louis' hands in his own wounded ones. "Just hold on a few more minutes, Lou..." The old nickname slipped out without him noticing. "You promised me you'd teach me to swim, remember? You have to keep that promise. You have to be alright."
He tried desperately to stay calm, but it was hard. He had no idea how bad Louis' condition truly was, and the thought alone threatened to send him spiraling. Gripping Louis' hand tightly, his pale knuckles turned whiter.